1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a heat exchanger assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a heat exchanger assembly including an insert for directing a heat exchange fluid through the heat exchanger assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heat exchanger assemblies such as evaporators and condensers are well known to those skilled in the art of thermal science. The heat exchanger assemblies may be used for vehicles, such as cars and trucks. The heat exchanger assemblies may also be used for buildings, such as homes and factories. The heat exchanger assemblies generally include a pair of spaced and parallel manifolds with a series of parallel flow tubes extending therebetween. The flow tubes communicate a heat exchange fluid, i.e., a refrigerant, between the two manifolds. Air fins are disposed between the flow tubes to add surface area to the heat exchanger assembly for further aiding in heat transfer to or from ambient air passing over the flow tubes. The heat exchanger assemblies include an inlet port and an outlet port for transferring the refrigerant to and from the heat exchanger assembly, respectively, in a continuous closed-loop system.
In one-pass heat exchanger assemblies, such as down-flow and cross-flow heat exchanger assemblies, the inlet port is disposed in one manifold, and the outlet port is disposed in the other manifold. Typically, the inlet port and the outlet port are diagonal to each other, attempting to fully utilize all of the flow tubes between the manifolds. Conversely, in a multi-pass heat exchanger assembly, both the inlet port and the outlet port may be spaced apart and disposed in the same manifold. However, the inlet and outlet port may also be diagonal to each other in the manifolds. In the multi-pass heat exchanger assemblies, a plurality of baffles is fixed within each of the manifolds to form a plurality of flow passes. In a typical heat exchange loop, the refrigerant enters through the inlet port into one of the manifolds, flows through all of the flow passes between the manifolds, and then exits one of the manifolds through the outlet port.
In the multi-pass heat exchanger assemblies, the inlet and outlet ports must be in locations dictated by location of the baffles and the flow passes. For example, the inlet port must be located near a first flow pass and the outlet port must be located near a last flow pass. External plumbing connections are required to meet orientation and location requirements of the inlet and outlet port. This often occurs in vehicles, where the heat exchanger assembly is tightly packed next to an engine. While the external plumbing connections help to route the refrigerant to and from the heat exchanger assembly, the external plumbing connections are often complex, which increases cost and takes up space. Internal plumbing within the heat exchanger itself can eliminate some of the problems associated with the external plumbing connections and with the inlet and outlet port locations.
Heat exchanger assemblies with internal plumbing are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,248 to Halstead (the '248 patent). The '248 patent discloses a heat exchanger assembly having a pair of manifolds with a series of parallel flow tubes extending therebetween. The heat exchanger assembly has an inlet port for receiving a refrigerant and an internal outlet port for directing the refrigerant within the heat exchanger assembly. An outlet tank is integrally extruded with one of the manifolds and is connected to the internal outlet port. The outlet tank has an outlet port. A plurality of baffles is fixed in the manifolds to make a plurality of flow passes within the heat exchanger assembly. The refrigerant flows into the inlet port and through the flow passes. The refrigerant then flows through the internal outlet port and into the outlet tank, and then out of the heat exchanger assembly through the outlet port.
Heat exchanger assemblies with internal plumbing are also disclosed, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 5,203,407 to Nagasaka (the '407 patent). The '407 patent discloses a heat exchanger assembly having a pair of manifolds with a series of parallel flow tubes extending therebetween. An inlet tank is attached to one of the manifolds and an outlet tank is attached to the other manifold. The inlet tank has an inlet port and the outlet tank has an outlet port. A plurality of baffles is fixed in the manifolds to make a plurality of flow passes within the heat exchanger assembly. A refrigerant flows through the inlet port and into the inlet tank. The refrigerant flows through the flow passes and enters into the outlet tank and out of the heat exchanger assembly through the outlet port.
The heat exchanger assemblies of the '248 and '407 patents are characterized by one or more inadequacies. Specifically, the heat exchanger assemblies of the '248 patent are limited to one configuration of the inlet and outlet port location due to an extrusion process employed to form the outlet tank integral with one of the manifolds. In addition, the internal outlet port must be properly located and made, which increases manufacturing costs of the heat exchanger assemblies. The heat exchanger assemblies of the '248 patent are also made of many pieces, which further increases manufacturing costs. The heat exchanger assemblies of the '407 patent are also extruded and made of many pieces, which increases manufacturing costs. In addition, location of the inlet and outlet tanks limits the heat exchanger assemblies to one configuration.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a heat exchanger assembly that can be configured into one or more configurations of inlet and outlet port locations. In addition, it would also be advantageous to provide a heat exchanger assembly having a lowered manufacturing cost.